Sign.



0. 0. WORTLEY.

Paten ted Feb. 7, 1911 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

am (Z 200; a

Ma, 6am cm 0. 0. WORTLEY. SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED-JAN 6, 1909. 983,593. Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I ZaVQ/ZZQW' CZmG zaofzzt G. G. WORTLEY. SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1909. 983,593. Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fave/@5717? k/Z 19 5 v5 5 349 UN1TEDSTA M OFFICE,

eLAiiK .c. woiir'nnil or CHICAGO, mime. f

To all whom it may 'conccr'nf sfructionaiidappearance, capable of being] I manufactured at a moderate cost, and hav-.

ing provision forthe ready substitution of new lettering or new letteredan'elsu fer -ed' embodiment in the accompanying drawings,'in whieh- Figure 1 represents a perspective view-0f a sign constructedin accordance with' my invention; Fig. 2,

Fig. .3, an enlarged broken longitudinal vertical sectional view showing the outer endportion of the sign; Fig. 4, a transverse sec- .tion taken, as indicated, at line 4: of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6, horizontal sectionalviews taken, as indicated, at the correspondin (Y lines of Fig. 3: Figs. 7 and 8, broken vertica l sectional views taken, as indicated, at the.

corresponding; lines of Fig. 2; Fig. 9, 21 broken longitudinal sectional View through the upper portion of the sign, showing one end-plate of the frame detached; Fig. 10, a

broken transverse vertical section taken, as

indicated, at line 10 of Fig. 9; Fig. 11,9.

of the end-platebroken perspective view which 18 shown detached in Fig. 9; Fig. 12, a transverse sectional view showing a muchfication; Fig. 13, a broken side-elevational --\'1QW, on a reduced scale, of the construction:

shown in Fig. 1:2; and Fig. 14,121.. broken section taken, as indicated, at line 14 of'Fig. 12. Referring to Figs. 1 to 11, inclusive, the

construction, in the form illustrated, com-'- prises a horizontally-disposed frame -A which-may be connected withthe s de of a building in any suitable manner; a series of illuininable sign-sections, or panel-equipped devices B depending from the frame A; and a sign-section, or 'ianel-equippcd illuin1na ble device C surniounting the frame A. "f

The frame A preferably is constructed of a pair of am de-bars 1 and Zcxtending parallel with each other. and separated liy a space of a few inches; transversc-bars'or "ffs e Specification ofiietters l'atent Application fi1ed .Tanuary 6, .1909. Serial no; 470,912.

I l pipe-4 islocated. The invention is illustrate in its' prea plan view of the same'; with the upper section of the sign removed;

spacing-members" 3 connectingsaid angle.

bar s; a centrally-disposed tubular member .4 resting on the cross-bars 3; and a'series of I transverse-bars connected. with the anglebars 1 and 2 and having-their central poi--- tions curved 'iipwardly,'as indicated at .6,

'to accommodate the tubular member or pipe.

4. The anglebars 1' and 2, which are disposed in ahor-izontal plane, have one set of flanges turned toward-. .each other and the other set of flanges-turned upwardly, as will be readily understood from Fig.' 7 whereby a space is afforded between i the vertical flanges in the central portion 0fWl11C l1 -tli{3 The inner endof the fra iie A is shown I equipped with an angle-bracket 7 which may be connected with a wall of a building; and} the outer ends of the. bars land 2 are connected by a bolt 8, with which are connected supporting cables 9, represented as three in number.

which are pivotally joined to the bolt, 8. One of the cables is connectedwitli the cent'ral portion of the bolt and the other .two

with the end-portions thereof, the members 10 being separatedor spaced by spacingsleei'es l1. V The pipe4 serves as'a conduit for electric conductors 12, which may pass front the building through'said pilw, said conductors,

having connected therewith electric-lights 13 located in chambers B and O. -The outer end of the pipe 4 is equipped with an elbow 14 having a down-turned open end through which the conductors for the last of the st.-

The cables' 9 are equipped at their. outer ,ends with. connecting members 10 riesjof lamps 13. pass. Said pipe is also.

provided at :interv'alsin its lower side with v through which-the 'GlBCtllC conductors -for the lainps may pass.

perforations oroiitlets 15 While the bracket 7 provides for a sub stantially rigid connection between the inner end of the franie A and the building, it

will be understoodthat' any desired connec tion may be employed'at this'point. 1 Each panel-equipped B preferably comprises a sheet-metal te plate 16 of rectangular fOlDl aliddiaving' device or chamber-1 down-turned flanges 17 angle-form"corner-" members 18 depending from the-cornersof 19 connected with thelow'er ends of the the flanged-top-plate 1G and inclining shown; channel-form lower riin-irie 'nljer corner-members 18;" transparent end-panels 20; and transparent cliaracter-beariiig side panels'21. The flanges 17 form an upper rim-member within which the upper margins of the glass-panels '20, 21 are received,

channels 22 being provided for the reception of the upper ends of the glass-panels by attaching angle-form clips or lugs 23 to the top-plate 16, the depending flanges of said'members 23 co-acting with the flanges 17. Preferably the upper ends of the cornerframe members 18 fit within the corners formed by the flanges, 17,.said members 18 being secured by means of solder; and the members 23 may likewise be secured in place i by means of solder. The channel-bars 19 which form the lower rim-member preterably have relatively wide upturned outer flanges-24 and relatively narrow upturned inner flanges 25, the flanges 25 being narrower than the length of the depending flanges ofthe members 23, so that the panel may be inserted by entering its upper end in the channel 22, passing the lower end over the flange 25 ofthe lower rim-member, and then allowing the panel todrop' into the channel 26 of the lower rim-member.-

Within the corners of the angle-bar cornermembers '18 are soldered, small revcrsclyfla'nged members 27 which afford bearings for the edges of theglass-pancls; and to the inner surfaces of the flanges of the anglebar corner-memberslS are soldered flexible sheet-metal members 28, which may be bent, according to necessity, to secure the vertical margins of the glass-panels. The members 28 may likewisebe bent back to permit "the glass-panels to be removed, either foirilic purpose of washing the same or substitutii'ig other panels. The panels 21 may serve as individual panels for the reception of letters, so that when the panels are rightly associated a name is produced. The lower ends :of the chambers B may be left open. As

thus described,- each chamber, or panelcquippcd device, B presents somewhat the appearanceof a truncated hollow pyramid with transparent sides, two of the sides being employed for receiving sign-characters. The top-plates 16' are provided-with centralperforations 29 through which depend't-he electric-conductors with which the electric lamps 13 are connected, each chamber thus serving as an individual housing for an electrio-light. Each top-plate 16 is detachably connected with the horizontal flanges of the angle-bars 1 and 2 by means of bolts 30.

The surmounting device 0, aswill be un-' derstood by reference to Figs. 1, 9, 10 and 11, preferably comprises asheet-metal bottom-plate 31, Which is supported on the angle-bars 1 and 2, the metal of which is bent up and then back upon itself to attord upturned flanges 32, the metal being then extended downwardly to. form flanges :53 which embrace the vertical flanges of the anglebars 1 and 2, and are connected therewith by means of bolts 34; a sheet-metal top-plate 35 having downturned lateral flanges 36; vertically-disposed sheet metal division-plates 37 connected at their lower ends with the bottom-plate 31 and at their upper ends with the top-plate 35; end-plates 38 and 39,-.

the latter of which is removable; and glasspanels 40 forming the sides of the chamber and removably inserted in guides 41 and 42 with which the-bottom plate 31, and topplate 35 are equipped, respectively, ontheir inner surfaces. The guides 41 and 42 may be formed by securing small channel-bars adjacent to the flanges 32 and 36, as' illustrated. "lheend-plates 3S and 39 incline, as shown in Fig. 5), and have lateral flanges 43adaptcd to embrace the end-portions oithe bottom-platc 31 and top-plate 35, said flanges 43 serving also to house the end of the glass-panels 40. As shown in- Fig. .1, the lower ends of the plates 38 and 39 are provided with central recesses 14 which :lCt'Olll: modate the pipe 4, and with recesses t? which accommodate the flanges 32 and'thc vertical flai'ig esof the angle-bars 1 and As has been indicated, the end-plate 3%) is removable. It is provided at its upper end with an inturned flange 46 adapted to fit over the top-plate 35, said flange and topplate being provided with perforations adapted to receive a pin -17. The vertical plates 37, the bottom-plate 31 and the top-- plate 35 may be enameled or painted white on the surface presented tothe interior of the chamber, in order to reflect the light from the lamps 13. This may bc true, also, of the. interior surfaces of'the cndrplatcs 33,

39. To remove the-panels 40 it. is necessary 'only to remove the cud-plate 35), when the or may not be employed. When it is em-.

ployed it may serve to receive the name of-a inerchant, the individual panels serving to indicate the character of the business conducted. The construction provides for securely housing the electric conductors and hiding the conduit which contains them from view when the sign is viewed from the street, and the open-work construction of the frame A prevents objectionable accumulation of dirt. and permits the sunlightto pass between the devices B and through the end-panels 20 thereof. thereby insuring good illumination time.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 12, .13 and 14, the general construction is the same as the construction already described, and the parts are similarly lettered. In this construction, however, the spaces 48 between the adjacent devices B are flanked by glassplates 'or panels 49 held by channel-form guides 50 and 51 carried by the upper and lower rim-members 17 and 19 of the frames of adjacent devices B. The panels 49 are secured in the channels 50 and 51 by lugs 52, as shown in Fig. 14. As will be understood from Figs. 13 and 14, the edges of the pan els 49 overlap or project past the corners of the adjacent devices B slightly; and the panels 49, as will be understood from Fig. 12,

of the letters in the dayare carried at a short distance from the glass-panels 21 of the devices B, being separated by a space 53, so that light thrown upon the inner surfaces of the p anels 49 may be reflected upon the outer surface of the panels 21. In this construction, electriclights 54 may be located between adjacent devices 13, so as to throw light upon the inner surface of thc panels 49 from whence it will be reflected upon the outer surfaces of the panels 21. Where the modified construction is employed, the lamps within the devices B may be dispensed with, if desired, and so also may lie the end-panels 20 of the devices B.

"The foregoing detailed description has o'een'given for clearness of understanding only, and no undue limitation is to be understood therefrom.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sign, the combination of a supporting-frame, a series of panel-frames depending therefrom. each comprising a top plate provided with panel-receiving channels, corner-inembers depending from said top-plate, and a lower rim supported by said corner-members and having a channel bounded by a relatively narrow inner flange, and removable character-bearing panels reccived in said channels.

2. In a sign, the combination of a pair of angle-bars having one set of flanges turned turned flanges, cross-members connecting said angle-bars, a pipe supported on said cross-members, panel-supporting frames depending from said angle-bars, characterbearing panels carried by said panel-supporting frames, electric lights serving to illuminate said panels, and electric conductors connected with said electric lights and. extending through said pipe.

3. In a sign, the combination of a horizontally-disposed frame, a series of horizontally alined panel-frames depending therefrom, character-bearingpanels carried by said panel-frames, and a surmounting device carried by said frame and comprising a frame and charactenbearing panels removably connected therewith.

i. In a sign, the combinationof a horizontally-disposed open frame, a pipe supported thereon and provided in its lower side with openings, electric conductors in said pipe extending through said openings, a series of horizontally alined panel-frames depending from said first-named frame, character-bearing transparent panels supported by said panel-frames, electric lights within said frames, a devicesurmounting said firstmamed frame comprising a frame composed of a top-plate and end-plates, removable character-bearing transparent panels carried by said last-named frame, and an electric light within said last-named frame, said conductors being connected with said electric lights.

5. In a sign, the combipation of a pair of angle-bars having a set of flanges turned toward each other and another set of upturned flanges, crossbars connecting said angle-bars, a cross-bolt connecting the outer ends of said angle-bars, cables connected with the central and end portions of said bolt, spacing-sleeves on said bolt, and a series of'panel-equipped individual frames depending from said angle-bars.

CLARK C. IVORILEY. In the presence of- A. U. THORIEN, R. A. SCI-IAEFER.

toward each other and another set of up 

